Box Score (PDF)
Wilmington, N.C. – UNC Wilmington jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the USC Upstate men's tennis team Friday from the UNCW Tennis Complex.
UNC Wilmington won all three doubles matches and claimed the point to build an early 1-0 lead. Xander Veys and Taylor Cramer clinched the point at No. 3 with a 6-1 win over Rajanvir Dharni and Matt Bennion.
Javier Restrepo put the Seahawks ahead 2-0 when he turned in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Ignacio Garrido at the No. 6 position. Spartan junior Ramon Simonetti cut the deficit in half and secured a point for Upstate with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Christian Van der Burgh at No. 1.
Jamie Yates pulled Upstate even, 2-2, with UNC Wilmington following his 6-2, 6-3 win over Veys at No. 3, but Andres Torres regained the lead for the Seahawks after he downed John Giakoumakis 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 at No. 5.
Zach Hublitz sealed the win for UNC Wilmington at No. 4 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Dharni. Spartan senior Viktor Selander posted his first win of the season in the final match of the day after defeating Santtu Leskinen 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2.
"We are very pleased with the way our team competed today," Upstate assistant coach Cesar Vargas said. "Despite facing extremely adverse weather conditions, the guys remained focused and played with conviction and determination. UNC Wilmington is an experienced, well-coached team, and its players deserve ample credit for their performance during crucial points.
"We are particularly proud of the effort displayed by Ramon, Viktor and Jamie at the top of our singles lineup," Vargas added. "They all earned convincing victories against the 50th-ranked team in the nation. While disappointing to ultimately lose the dual, we are encouraged by our progress this early in the season and hope that today's match will serve as a benchmark for the rest of the year."
Upstate puts the finishing touches on the weekend Saturday at noon when the Spartans travel to Conway, S.C., to face Coastal Carolina.
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